Pilot light



June 4, 1935.

V. R. DESPARD 2,004,039

PILOT LIGHT Filed Feb. 20, 1933 Patented June 4, 1,935 g UNITED STATES PATENTF OFFICE PILOT LIGHT Victor B; Syracuse, N. Y., asslgnor to Pass It Seymour, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 20, 1933, Serial No. 657,706 12 Claims. (01. 177-311) This invention relates to pilot lights, and par- Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig, 2; ticularly to pilot lights for use with wall or face Figure 4 is a section On n plates. t Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, It is-a general object of the present invention looking in the dir cti n 01' h arrows;

5 to provide a novel and improved pilot light. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the insulat- 5 t More particularly it is an object of the invening base of the receptacle; tion to provide a pilot light of the type to be used Figure 7- is a perspective View the hoodwith a wall or face plate, and wherein the recepcarrying m for the lamp is behind the face plate and Figure 8 is a perspective Vi w Of the center a portion of the lamp in front of the face plate lamp Con ct nd s o l t m 10 and covered by a hood secured to a part extending Fi ur 9 i Perspective V Of the Screw throughthe face plate. shell lamp contact and its associated terminal,

One of the novel features of the invention rend sides in the provision of a unique receptacle for Figure 10 is 8 P a w Of the receptacle and the lamp of a pilot light and in the manner of a f a m nt of th m untin st a sh w n securing the lamp engagingcontacts th r i the left-hand side the fastening means in its Another important feature of the invention re- Original condition and on the right-hand side sides in the construction of thetlamp engaging this means m d to engage the insulation contacts and their associated terminals, block of the receptacle to secure it in the strap.

Still another novel feature of the invention reilo li h s ar u d for a V i y purposes,

sides in theprovi'sion of a receptacle block of inand a m n into quite general se n ho sulating material and a thimble frictionally seand building wir ng o indicate h n i n 1' cured thereto and extending through an opening circuits appliances in 0th Darts h l in the face plate to receivea, lamp h ing, for indicating the attachment of portable Still another feature of the invention resides in devices and Various other p p It s 25 the construction of the contact for engaging the i ly desirable ha D l lights n e d screw h l of the lamp base. with the customary wall or face plate appli- A still further feature of the invention resides c s. a d n he e t of n e eab l ty, in the provision of a receptacle for a pilot lamp the P nt t p 0! p ot light s o st ucted to inwhich the terminal of the contacts for engagcooperate with 8 standard Opening in a a l 30 ing the lamp base are inserted into channels from plate f the type adapted to receive convenience the rear of the receptacle and secured in position Outlets. h buttons, wi d h lik olely by an insulating plateclosing the rear Heretofore difllculty has een e p n d in endeavoring to provide a suitable receptacle to- I 3 Other and further features and objects of the ho e wh l pilot m ind the wall plate 4o ment or the invention, with :the understanding, pilot li t is int nd d to e us d. if desired, in

In said drawing, A lamp extending to the front ofthe face plate as mounted in a wall plate and supported by a the lamp is suitably covered by a perforated hood mounting strap, the latter two parts being shown or shield which may take several forms, one in horizontal section;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a pilot light e n indica on nd a o h o use wi h cording to the present invention, shown as clear lamps to provide low intensity ,illuminamounted in an outlet box which supports the tionasforanight light ortoilluminate pushbutmounting strap and the plate, all parts but the .tons, door numbers, and the like. i. e

ilpilot light being shown in sectio Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen u that the pilot light comprises three essential parts, first, the receptacle R including the contacts for engagement by the lamp L, second, "a thimble T, and third, the hood H for the lamp. The receptacle R is entirely supported to the rear of the face plate F, here shown as formed of insulating material, thimble T passes through an opening in the face plate, while the hood H is entirely in front of the face plate.

The lamp, receptacle is formed in the molded block ll) of insulating material, generally in the form of. a parallelepipedon, which is provided centrally with a substantially cylindrical hole l2 opening onto the front face thereof and'of a diameter to receive loosely the lower portion of the lamp. This hole intersects a transverse groove H which extends through the rear portion of the block and reaches between the two sides I5 thereof and is of a depth slightly less than half the length of the block. The side walls of this groove, near their ends, are each channelled as at H to the depth of the groove, which provides pairs of facing channels parallel to the axis of the hole l2 and. for a purpose to be later described.

In order to make electrical connections with the base of the lamp, there is provided in the receptacle a center contact l8 and a screw shell contact H3. The center contact comprises a strip of metal extending out at right angles from a substantially rectangular tab portion 20 which forms t terminal and is perforated and threaded to re eive the terminal screw 2|.

The screw shell contact I9 is formed from a metal plate having the terminal tab 22 turned up at one end and accommodating the screw 23. From the tab extends a neck portion 24 enlarged into a ring 25. The opening in this ring is unique in that approximately one-half of its circumference is formed, as at 26, at a radius substantially that of the bottom of the threads on the base of the lamp. Opposite this portion a lug 21 is struck up to a distance above the plane of the ring equivalent to one-half of the pitch of the thread on the base. The remaining portions 28 of the circumference of the opening are of a greater diameter than the largest diameter of the thread on the lamp base. This permits the lamp base to be screwed into the contact, as shown in Fig. 3, with the portion 26 engaging between a pair of threads and with the lug 21 engaging between the next pair of threads so that a true threaded engagement of the lamp base shell with the contact is had.

The screw shell contact rests against the bottom wall 30 of the transverse groove in the block H] with the ring surrounding the opening |2 as seen in Fig. 3. A tab 3| on the ring opposite the strap portion 24 is received in a notch formed in an elevated portion 32 on this bottom wall 30. In

, so positioning the contact, the terminal plate 22 thereon is received with its edges in the channels H in such a manner that it completely closes that end of the groove l4.

The opposite end of the groove is closed by the terminal tab 20 on the center contact and the engagement of this tab with the walls of its channels supports this contact in position to be engaged by the center contact of the lamp as clearly seen in Fig. 3. This closes both ends of the groove and the rear of the groove is then closed by a cover plate 34 of insulating material of substantially the same area as the whole end of the block |0.- This insulation plate bears against the upper edge of the terminal 22 and against a attached by screws 54 to two contacts and their terminals firmly in posi-- tion. The insulation plate 34 is held onto the block H] by means of a smaller size cover plate 35 of metal having a pair of downturned ears 36 received in notches 31 in the sides of the block and having their ends 39 expanded therein by means of the connecting strut in a manner to lock them in position. For full details of this manner of fastening the insulation plate in position, reference may be had to my copending application Serial Number 587,599, Attaching means for metal parts and insulating material, filed January 19, 1932.

The thimble T is a metal stamping having the varcuate sides 40 externally threaded, as shown,

near their ends. These sides are connected by an outwardly turned bottom flange 42. These botto' flanges are received against the depressed surfaces 43 on the front end of the block H), which surfaces 43 are beneath the end surface 44 of the block just the thickness of the flanges 42. The notches 45' in the bottoms of the arcuate walls of the thimble fit over the inward projections 45 on the shoulders 46 projecting forwardly from the insulation block and the edges of the notches may have frictional engagement with the side walls of these projections. In addition, the arcuate walls beside the notches may bear against the surfaces 41 frictionally so that the thimble is firmly but not securely fixed to the insulation part, by merely pressing the two together.

The assembly of insulation block, terminals vided with one or more substantially rectangular openings each to snugly accommodate the projections 46 on the front face of the block l0. Adjacent each edge of the opening which engages the long side of the projection 46 is a portion bendable beneath the shoulder 53 .on the block I, as clearly seen in Figs. 3, 5 and 10, andas more fully described in my copending application Serial Number 580,411, Electric wiring apparatus, filed December 11, 1931. The wiring device is inserted from the back with the thimble extending through the opening in the strap 5| and the portions of the strap then deformed as shown in Fig. 5 and at the right in Fig. 10 to lock beneath the shoulders 53 to secure the receptacle in the mounting strap. In so doing, the mounting strap overlies the flanges 42 .on the thimble, and since the mounting strap is firmly locked to the insulating material, it completes the attachment of the thimble to 'the insulating block and further .insures that the thimble is locked behind the mounting strap so that it cannot be drawn outwardly from the box.

The wall plate F has an aperture of a shape to loosely accommodate the thimble which projects sufiiciently far forwardly from the mounting strap 5| to protrude through the face plate, as clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 4. The faceplate is the mounting strapand hence indirectly to the box 50, but the plate has no function whatsoever in supporting any part of the pilot light and merely serves as a covering member for the box 50 to provide a finish.

After the plate has been mounted, the lamp L can be screwed into the receptacle and then the hood through-the face plate and supported by pressed metal hood H applied by screwing it onto said common means. the thimble-until its lower edge substantially en- 6. A pilot lamp receptacle comprising a block gages the wall plate. Other means aside from of insulation having an openingtherethrough, a

h is of a size to ac'commodate the to the thimble, and obviously the hood may be lamp base and the adjacent portion of the bulb, made of various materials and of different shapes, a second and larger portion of- 'said opening acand perforated or provided with'large openings commodatinga screw shell desired. It will be noted that the heated end .minals integral with said contacts and received 10 damage by the hood. The hood has no other the terminals and contactsjinf position in the function than as a shade and protector to the block.

lamp. 7. A pilot lamp receptacle comprising a block 15 I Having thus described the invention, what is of insulation having an opening longitudinally claimed as new and desired to be secured by therethrough, screw shell andjcenter lamp con- Letters Patent is: I

1- El ri w n pparatus including in comon-each contact, lateral passagesfro n the openbination, a face plate having an opening thereing to the sides of said blockjgrooves in the walls 20 in, a mounting strap behind said plate and supofsaid passages extending longitudinally of the in register with the plate opening, a pilot lamp the contact end of said opening-isecuredto the receptacle including an insulating body and a block and engaging said terminals and retaining 25 threaded metal thimble, said thimble fitting them in position. through both said openings and having a flange 8. A pilot lamp receptacle comprising ablock in back of the strap and engaging on the body, of insulation having an openinglongitudinally support the body, lamp contacts in said body, end intersecting said opening, grooves in the 30 a lamp enga g said contacts and projecting walls of the passage near the ends thereof paralbeyond the frg r i t ,of said plate, and a lamp hood lel to the axis .of the opening, a contact for the screwed over said thimble. screw shell of the lamp comprising aring rest- 2. Electric wiring apparatus including in coming on the bottom of the passage coaxial to said bination, a perforated mounting strap adapted opening, a terminal plate in the grooves at one 35 strap and plate, and an insulating body and a plate of insulation secured to and over the 40 lamp contacts in said body, a lamp extend- 9. A-pilot lamp receptacle comprising a block ing through the plate, thimble and strap and enof insulation having an opening longitudinally gaging said contacts, and a lamp hood-engaged th r hrou h and a ra sve e P a a n tion the thimble, a lamp passing through said terminal electrically connectedto the second terthereby and a lamp hood engaging the thimble the passage end of the block and with the termiand enclosing the portion of the lamp projecting nals closing the passage except to the ope beyond the wall plate. and means atthe opposite end of theblock to m 4. A pilot light assembly including in combinacooperatewith a mounting strap to support the tion, an apertured face plate, an insulating body receptacle behind a wall plate;: l V including lamp contacts, common means to sup- 10. A pilot lamp receptacle comprising in comport the face plate and body from an outlet box, bination, a block of insulation having a lamp a hood on the opposite side of the face plate from receiving opening longitudinally therethrough, a a the body to cover the aperture in the face plate deep groove transverse to said opening and block 6 and a device for supporting said hood-directly at one end of the block, the side walls ofsaid support the face plate and body from an outlet and the other at the bottom of said grooveand box, alamp engaging said contacts andextending an insulation plate secured to the block closing said aperture, a hood covering the porthe open side of the groove and holding the tertion of lamp projecting beyond the face plate, minals in position. and hood supporting means extending from the 11. A pilot lamp receptacle for use with a face 7 plate including in combination, a block of insulation having an opening to receive a lamp base, lamp engaging contacts in said block, terminals on said block, a thimble secured to the block coaxial to said opening and having a portion adapted to extend through an opening in a face plate, and a lamp hood removably closing the end of the thimble.

' 12. A screw shell contact for a lamp receptacle 10 comprising a metal plate of less thickness than the spacing of threads on the lamp base, an opening through said plate for the lamp base having an arcuate side of a. radius substantially equivalent to that at the bottom of the lamp base threads, a lug having its inner end at the same radius on the opposite side of the opening and displaced one half thread pitch from the first portion, the remainder of the opening being large enough to clear the thread tops.

VICTOR R. DESPARD. 

